Golf ball washer



Apnl 23, 1940. L. MoLLARr GOLF BALL WASHER Filed Aug'. 28, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l lDbEgU/ diari L. MOLLART 2,198,441 GOLF BALL WASHER April 23, 1940. L, MoLLART GOLF BALL WASHER Filed Aug. 28, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 JMQM lbegaii M//arzi Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNIT-ED STATES GOLF BALL WASHER Lobegott Mollart, Watertown, vWis., assignor to G. B. Lewis Company, Watertown, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application August 28,

7 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in golf ball washers, although the same is equally applicable for the cleaning of other articles or for any other purpose to which the principle thereof is capable of application.

It is generally an object of this invention to provide a device whereby golf balls or other articles may be cleaned readily without the necessity of in anywise holding the ball inthe hand, by the simple expedient of depositing the ball in an inlet opening of a receptacle and rotating a cleaning or scrubbing member, whereby the ball or other member is thoroughly cleaned and then discharged through an outletA opening in the receptacle.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a device of the'character described wherein any number of balls may be cleaned as a continuous operation.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a golf ball washing device which will be durable and simple in, construction, and relatively inexpensive to produce.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed'invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate several complete examples of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed in accordance with the best modes so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, andin which:

Figure l is an end View of a golf ball washer constructed in accordance with this invention, parts therof being broken away and in vertical section to more clearly illustrate structural details; I

Figure 2 is a perspective viewof the cover forming part which closes the top of the receptacle proper and carries means to deiine a ball passage- W215i;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the receptacle proper with the rotary cleaning orl scrubbing member mounted therein;

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the improved golf ball washer with the front wall thereof removed and parts broken away and in section to illustrate the path of the golf ball-or other device through-the washer; y o

193i; serial No. 161,426

Figure 5'is a vertical sectional view, through the receptacle proper showing a modified embodiment of the invention, parts of the interior thereof being in side elevation;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the cover-and passageway forming member of the modified emvbodiment illustrated in Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a perspective View of a further modied form of the yinvention `wherein the inlet and discharge openings are disposed in the top and rear walls of the receptacle, respectively.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts, the numeral I0 designates a tank member or receptacle of suitable shape, which, for economy of materials and appearances,V is preferably approximately semi-circular, as viewed from the front. The top of the receptacle is open and its bottom has a drain opening closed by a removable plug I2.

Secured to the front Wall or face I3 of the receptacle at a medial point isja bearing I4 in which the shaft I5 of a rotary brush or cleaning member IB is journalled. The brush is iixed to the inner end of the shaft within the receptacle and a handle member I1 is attached to its outer end for imparting rotary movementthereto.

The ball engaging face of the brush, formed by the ends of its bristles, is spaced from the .rear wall I8 of the receptacle, and in this space is a tortuous passage for golf balls or other members to be cleaned.

A removablecover I9 normally closes the open top of the receptacle. ADepending from the cover to t inside the receptacle are end flanges 20 and a side wall 2l of a shape corresponding to that of the front and rear walls of the receptacle. Mounted on the inner face of the wall 2| is a spider or'spoke member 22 having a plurality of fingers or spokes 23, 24, 25 and 26 projecting outwardly and disposed substantially radially with respect to the axis of the brush member I6 when the cover is in place. The spider or spoke member has curved or arcuate faces 21 between its adjacent iingers, and the member 23 is preferably of greater length vthan the others and extends to a point medially'of an elongated aperture in the cover I9 to divide the same into an inlet opening 28 and an outlet or discharge opening 29. 50

Also secured to the wall 2l are guide or track members 3U, -3I, 32 and 33 which are spaced from the peripheral surfaces of the spider a distance i slightly greater than the diameter of a golf ball.,

' A tortuous passage iis thus formedthrough ithe 55' tank or receptacle from the inlet opening 28 to the discharge opening 29, one side of which is closed by the scrubbing face of the brush.

The cleaning member or brush I 6 is preferably of a thickness slightly less than the depth of the space in which it is mounted, and an expansile spring or other resilient means 35 is disposed between the brush member I 6 and the wall I3 to yieldingly urge the brush toward the back wall I8 and consequently toward the tortuous passage so as to frictonally engage a golf ball or other member 36 being cleaned as it progresses through the device, and further automatically accommodate for wear of the brush bristles.

In Figures 5 and 6 is illustrated a slightly modied manner of maintaining a yielding engagement of the scrubbing face of the brush member I 6 with the open side of the tortuous passage, wherein the spring 35 is eliminated and the cover I9 is constructed Wider than the open top of the receptacle so that its dependent flanges 20' are engaged over the outside of the receptacle rather than inside the receptacle, as illustrated in Figure 4. In this embodiment, one or more resilient leaf-like spring members 35 are xed to the outer face of the wall 2i, as at 3l', to bear against the rear wall I8 of the receptacle and yieldingly urge the wall 2| with its tortuous passage formed thereon by the star-like member and the guides into engagement with the ends of the brush bristles.

In operation, the golf ball 36 or other member to be cleaned is deposited in the tortuous passage through the inlet opening 28 and the brush member I6 rotated in a clockwise direction through the medium of the crank I'I. The width of the passage is preferably slightly less than the diameter of the ball so that its periphery is in frictional engagement with the ends of the bristles and the opposite wall of the passage formed by the inner face of the member 2| to cause the ball to be progressed through the passage by the brush from the opening 28 to the discharge opening 29.

As will be obvious, the ball is rotated in all directions by rolling on the wall 2l, the walls formed by the ends of the bristles and the sides of the passage formed by the guides Sil, 3|, 32 and 33, and the peripheral surfaces of the spider The arm or projection 23 of the spider 22, which divides the elongated aperture of the cover I9 into an inlet and a discharge or outlet opening, is preferably slanted, or at an angle, as best illustrated in Figure 4, to facilitate the automatic discharge of the ball through the opening 29 by the brush member after it has completed its travel through the tortuous passage.

The receptacle is partially filled with a suit- `able cleaning fluid, which may be water and soap, or any other medium, and it will be readily apparent that as many balls may be cleaned at one time as the length of the passage will accommodate, it being merely necessary that the balls be deposited in the inlet opening and the brush member rotated.

In Figure '7 a slightly modified arrangement of the outlet opening is illustrated whereby the balls are discharged through the rear wall I8 to `drop in a tray or basket 38, which may be secured to the wall I8 or carried by the support to which the receptacle is mounted by means of a bracket or other member 39 carried thereby.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention provides a very eflicient and linexpensive device for easily and quickly cleaning golf balls without necessitating holding the ball or the players hands coming in contact with the cleaning member or the cleaning fluid.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a device of the character described: a liquid receptacle open at its top and comprising side, end, and bottom walls; a rotatable brush in the receptacle; a shaft for the brush journalled in one side Wall of the receptacle, the ends of the bristles of the brush being spaced from one side wall of the receptacle; a member in the receptacle between the ends of the bristles of the brush and the side wall of the receptacle from which the same are spaced, said member having a part forming a cover for the open top of the receptacle and being bodily removable therethrough; means on said member defining a tortuous passageway which is open throughout itslength at its side facing the brush so that a ball deposited in the passageway will be subjected to yascrubbing action by the brush and advanced thereby through the tortuous passageway as the brush is rotated; and means yieldingly urging said member laterally toward the brush to insure the continuance of the prop er contact of the brush bristles with a ball in the passageway as the bristles become worn.

2. In a device of the character described: a liquid receptacle open at its top and comprising side, end, and bottom walls; a rotatable brush in the receptacle; a shaft for the brush j ournalled in one side Wall of the receptacle, the ends of the bristles of the brush being spaced from one side wall of the receptacle; a member in the receptacle between the ends of the bristles of the brush and the side wall of the receptacle from which the same are spaced, said member having a part forming a cover for the open top of the receptacle and being bodily removable therethrough; means on said member defining a tortuous passageway `which is open throughout its length at itsside facing the brush so that a ball deposited in the passageway will be subjected to a scrubbing action by the brush and advanced thereby through the tortuous passageway as the brush is rotated; and a compression spring coiled about the shaft between the rotatable brush and the Wall in which the shaft is journalled for yieldingly urging the brush toward the member dening the passageway.

3. In a ball Washer of the character described: an open topped receptacle; a cleaning element in the receptacle; and a track forming member removably positioned in said receptacle .adjacent to the cleaning element for holding a ball in operative relation t0 the cleaning element, said member comprising a side wall, a top wall of a size to close the open top of the receptacle when said member is in position, said top wall having an opening, a spoked member projecting laterally from the side Wall with the end of one spoke thereof positioned directly under the medial portion of the opening in the top wall to divide the opening, and means carried by the side wall hav ing complementary Wall surfaces spaced from the exterior surfaces of the spoked member to coact therewith in denning the track.

4. In aball Washer of the character described: an open topped receptacle; a rotatable brush in the receptacle with the ends of the bristles spaced from one side ofthe receptacle; a supporting member removably positioned in said receptacle,

said member comprising a side wall, a top wall of a size to close the open top of the receptacle when said member is in position, said top wall having an opening, and means projecting laterally from said side Wall and defining a passageway open throughout its length at its side facing the brush so that a ball deposited in the passageway will be subjected to a scrubbing action Aby the brush and advanced thereby through the tortuous passageway as the brush is rotated; and a spring between said supporting member and the adjacent side wall of the receptacle for yieldingly urging the supporting member toward the opposite side wall of the receptacle.

5. In a ball washer of the character described: an open topped receptacle adapted to hold a supply of cleaning liquid; a rotatable brush in the receptacle; a cover to close the open top of the receptacle; and means suspended from said cover so as to be removable therewith from the receptacle ,and dening a tortuous passageway having an open side confronting the bristles of the brush so that a ball in the passageway is engageable thereby.

6. In a ball Washer of the character described: an open topped receptacle adapted to hold a supply of liquid; a rotatable brush in the receptacle; a cover to close the open top of the receptacle; and means suspended from said cover so as to be removable therewith from the receptacle and dening a tortuous passageway having an open side confronting the bristles of the brush so that aball in the passageway is engageable thereby, said means including internal and external complementary spaced apart wall surfaces, with the external wall surface extending about all portions of the internal wall surfaces except at one part-of the passageway to provide a ball opening thereto.

7. In a ball washer of the character described, the combination of: a receptacle having spaced substantially upright side walls; a flat rotatable cleaning element in the receptacle with its cleaning face spaced from one of said side walls; means rotatably mounting the cleaning element from the other side wall; means for rotating the cleaning element; and means disposed in the space between the cleaning face of said element and the side wall of the receptacle from which said cleaning face is spaced defining a channellike passageway for a ball to be cleaned, said passageway approaching and receding from the axis of the cleaning element togive the same a tortuous path and being open to the cleaning face of said element throughout its entire course to` enable Contact of a ball positioned therein with the cleaning face of said element, and said receptacle having means at its upper portion for the admission of a ball to be cleaned to said passageway and for a cleaned ball to be ejected therefrom.

LOBEGO'I'I MOLLART; 

